Shades of berry, yay or nay? Darker colours make your lips appear smaller, but fret not, darker coloured glosses can impart a nice shine to your lips without making them appear smaller. In fact, some of these glosses can even make your lips look bigger by their gloss factor. Today I swatch 3 of the berry-toned lip products I have, The Face Shop Diamond Shine Lipgloss in PP401, The Body Shop Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm and Smashbox O-gloss Noir. Three reviews in one post, whew!
First of all, I love berry shades. Period. Apart from the fact that I'm tan and they just suit my skin colour, I also love the way a dark lip looks paired with a simple shimmery gold eyeshadow and some eyeliner to emphasise the lips and give a luxurious feel. Such looks are great for understated sophistication, e.g. paired with a navy blue turtleneck top and a black pencil skirt, which is an outfit I used to wear to work during my 3-month stint as an intern.
The following three lip products have been used by me over a period of time of at least 1 year (except O-gloss, which I acquired rather recently because it's a new product).
First off, The Face Shop Diamond Shine Lipgloss in PP401!
Nice, simple packaging
Doe-tip applicator for easier application
This is a relatively low-budget sheer lipgloss (SGD 12.50, according to online sources - I've had it since 2009 so I can't remember the price) that has a very nice rose scent.
According to The Face Shop's website, its
1-carat diamond glisten brings sophistication, glam, and sensuality to your lip.
Well, I didn't know it had 1-carat diamond particles in there, but I noticed that the shimmer in the gloss was multi-coloured, with mostly pink, some blue/purple and a few orange sparkles.
Apologies for the slightly rough application.
It's actually darker than it looks over here. Overall it's sheer, non-sticky and doesn't last more than a drink. I personally like it because the colour looks nice (I received compliments when I wore it for a performance) and it doesn't make my lips feel very sticky. It's also inexpensive for the amount of product. The downside is the low staying power that requires constant touchups.
Next, The Body Shop Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm! I got it in 2009, I think. It was quite a deal; around SGD 12, if I'm not wrong.
Look at those delicious looking golden glitters!
Let me assure you how much I love the scent of this. It's infused with cranberry oil (no wonder it smells so deliciously fruity!) and Vitamin E, conditioning your lips while adding a little shine. The glitters are rather unnoticeable once they're on your lips, so it winds up looking like a nice plummy shimmer on your lips instead of a watery gloss (see The Face Shop Diamond Shine Lipgloss above for comparison).
It's no longer in production because it was part of a limited Christmas release in 2008. This lip balm is extremely moisturising and great in all ways except that it doesn't have an applicator, and I know how much some people hate putting their fingers into the tin and then on their lips!
Lastly, we have Smashbox O-Gloss Noir!
Comes with slant tip applicator for easier application
O-Gloss originally came in pink, and Noir is the second colour release. I bought Noir instead of the original colour because I thought it would have a more suitable colour for my skin tone.
According to Smashbox,
This "intuitive" gloss is formulated to turn your lips a unique shade of berry. Packed with Smashbox's exclusive micro-circulating Goji Berry-C Complex™, ginkgo biloba, pomegranate seed antioxidants, revitalizing marine botanicals, and moisturizing avocado oil, this gloss is sure to make your lips look extra lustrous.
O-Gloss Noir is also paraben-free and has a scent that is slightly minty and botanical, so it's quite refreshing upon application. As for Goji Berry, it is also known as wolfberry, which is a health food that many Chinese soups use.
Out of the tube it's a translucent dark purple (almost black), with no shimmer at all. After a few minutes, it turns to a unique shade of berry based on your skin chemistry. According to some people, you can get different shades with each application! The gloss factor isn't anything spectacular, but it is very moisturising, though it's a little tacky, but not sticky.
If you're interested in getting this, don't get it from Sephora/wherever sells Smashbox products. It's much cheaper online. I got it for around USD 15 including shipping [product was USD 9.95] on Ebay. It's apparently a limited edition product, so grab it fast!
Anyway, I tried to swatch O-Gloss Noir on my lips but somehow the colour just looked remarkably close to the colour of the Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm after a short while. So I just swatched it along with the other two.
From left: Smashbox O-Gloss Noir, The Face Shop Diamond Shine Lipgloss (PP401), The Body Shop Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm
O-Gloss Noir changes colour depending on your skin chemistry, so it's actually not so purple after application on your lips. Interesting enough, it doesn't change colour on my arm, as you can see.
Diamond Shine Lipgloss in PP401 is a deeper shade of cool-toned red that's more towards purple, while Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm is a warmer-toned red towards orange. You can see the high quantity of pink shimmers in PP401, while there's a smaller quantity of gold shimmers in the Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm.
The Verdict (apologies for my limited amount of berry shades to compare with)
Overall: All three are really great, but it's a toss up between TFS Diamond Shine Lipgloss (PP401) and The Body Shop Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm because I have a weakness for some shimmer on my lips!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ for both those two on the colour and shimmer!
And ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ for O-Gloss Noir's colour changeability (it's novel!)
Product Packaging: Once again, a toss up between TFS and TBS (haha), as both as in different types of packages. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ for them both.
Effectiveness: Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm wins with ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ! It is both moisturising, shimmery and smells absolutely delicious for the whole day. Diamond Shine Lipgloss wears off more easily and its rose scent fades after awhile. O-Gloss Noir is very effective, but lacks the shimmer that maketh the gloss ;)
Repurchase value: In terms of value for money, Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm wins hands down. I would buy the other two again, the payoff isn't as great in my opinion. Too bad Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm isn't sold anymore. But do keep a lookout for it at The Body Shop warehouse sales! Maybe they'll relaunch it seeing how it's so popular.
I think we have a clear winner... The Body Shop Cranberry Shimmer Lip Balm!
I promise the next post won't be about lip products anymore. It'll have something to do with the windows to one's soul... ;)
